Machine for handling can-heads and the like.



O. DEMPEWOLF. MACHINE FOR HANDLING GAN HEADS AND THE LIKE.

APPLICATION FILED AUG.2!1, 1910.

Patented Feb. 2, 1915.

2 SHEETS-SHEET 1.

M67257" g OTTO DEM/9E WOL F g R Q Q Q 0. DBMPEWOLP. MACHINE FOR HANDLINGCAN HEADS AND THE LIKE.

APPLICATION FILED AUG. 24, 1910. 1,126,722. Patented Feb. 2, 1915.

2 SHEETS-SHEET 2.

fzven t3? UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE.

OTTO DEMPEWOLF, OF BRUNSWICK, GERMANY. ASSIGNOR TO BREMER & BRIIGKMANN,

0F BRUNSWICK, GERMANY. I I

MACHINE FOR HANDLING CAN-HEADS AND THE Application filed August 24,1910. Serial No. 578,742.

To all whom it may concern:

Be it known that I, O'rro DEMPEWOLF, a citizen of Brunswick, Germany,have invented certain new and useful Improvements in Machines forHandling Can-Heads and the like, of which the following is a full,clear, and exact specification, such as will enable others skilled inthe art to which it appertains to make and use the same.

My invention relates to a machine for packing and handling can heads sothat they are in convenient condition for further operations. I

The object of the invention'isto provide a machine for automaticallyremoving the can heads from holders where a certain operation has beenperformed on them and for automatically stacking the heads in suitablegalleys.

In carrying out the invention, I provide a moving table on whichthedesired operation isperformed on the can heads, for instance, theplacing of a gasket or packing ring therein. Coacting with the table isa device by which the heads are removed from the table rand distributedautomatically into suitable galleys or compartments. In so operating onthe can heads the rotation or other movement of the table is'utilized tooperate an automatic stop for the can heads and to enable the number ofheads handled to be noted at a glance.

The invention involves various other fea tures of importance, all ofwhich will be fully set forth hereinafter and particularly pointed outin the claims.

Reference is now had to the accompanying drawings which illustrate, asanexample,

the preferred embodiment of the invention.

In these drawingsFigure 1 is a front elevation of the machine partthereof being shown in section; Fig. 2 is a side elevation; Fig. 3 is aplan view; and Fig. 4 is an enlarged section of one of the can headholders.

10 indicates the table, which is hereshown as mounted. to turn in ahorlzontal plane around a vertical supporting shaft 11. The

motion of the table is intermittent and may be brought about by anydesired mechanism (not shown). On this table are mounted a number ofhead holders shown in detail in Specification of Letters Patent.

Patented Feb. 2, 1915 Fig. 4 and comprising pedestals 12 having cups14.. In these cups are located two vertically movable cups 15 and 16.The cup 16 is nested within the cup 15 and both of these cups haveindependent motion with respect to each other and to the cup 14. Springs17 sustain the cup 15 and springs 18 sustain the cup 16, said springspressing'on the bottoms of the cups and supported respectively by thecup 14 and cup 15. These springs are of such relative tension thatnormally they hold the parts as in Fig. 4;, wherein the up per edge ofthe cup 15 is slightly above the upper edge of the cup 14 and the upperedge of the cup 16 is slightly above the upper edge of the cup 15.During the period of rest in the intermittent movement of the table 10,the holder which is alined with the heating 1683, 19 is brought intocontact with said ea I 7 The can head is indicated at a and it will beobserved that its edge a is crimped to I produce an inverted channelextending around the edge of the head. This head is placed on the holderso that said channel receives the upper edges of the cups l5 and 16. bindicztes the packing gasket, which is annular to correspond with thechannel in the head a and this is placed around the cup 16 on the upperedge of the cup 15.

The heating head 19 is provided with suitable heating means (not shown)and when a head holder with the head and gasket in place thereon movesunder the heating head 19 the parts will assume the position shown inFig. 4. The heating head then moves downward and the springs 18 and 17are compressed,'the springs 18 yielding first. This causes the upperedges of the cups 15 and 16 to become coincident with each other causingthe gasket 6 to be flattened or spread out. The heat of the head 19softens the gasket and causes it to spread out in a relatively thinsheet in the bottom of the aforesaid inverted channel extending aroundthe edge of the head a. The cup 14.- is provided interiorlv at its upperedge with an annular inwardly tapering surface 14"; and

the continued downward movement of the head a brings its outer wall orflange against the surface 11 bending said flange inwardly preparatoryto the operation of seaming the head on the body of the can. Thisoperation. of the surface 14 need not necessarily be outlined at'20.This operation as well as that of placing the gasket 6 on the holdersmaybe performed in any desired manner without departing from the spiritof my invention. That is to say, the heads and gas kets may be'manuallyplaced on the holders or automatic mechanism may be provided for thispurpose. In Fig. 3 the position of the heating head is diagrammaticallyindicated at 19. This also'may be mounted and operated in any desiredmanner, either manually or automatically. The table is assumed to berotating intli'e direction of the arrow in Fig. 3 so that it passes fromthe chute 20 to the heating head and thence on to the other elements ofthe machine as will hereinafter fully appear.

'21 indicates a chute, which slants downward tangentially from theperiphery of the table 10." At the receiving end of this chute curvedlifting and guide fingers 22 are disposed so that as the can heads onthe holders are moved from the gasket applying position at the heatinghead 19%(referred to Fig. 3) they ride over the guiding fingers 22 andare caused to roll outward toward the periphery of theytable, where withthe aid of a guiding finger 23 said heads are tilted edgewise anddropped into the chute 21. The guidingfingers 22 are supportedin anysuitable manner, for example, on a brace 24, extending between thereceiving end of the chute 21 and a stationary collar or like member 25on the column 11.

The chute 21 has a transversely sliding bottom 26 of graduated widthcorresponding to a series of pockets 27. Controlled by the transverseposition of said bottcm 26 the can heads will roll on edge down thechute 21 until they reach a point where the.

width of the bottom 26 with regard-to its relative position to the-chuteis such that the chute is open at the bottom and no support provided forthe heads, whereupon the heads must and will fall into the particularpocketbelow the point referred to. At the inception of the operation thebottom 26 is moved to its extreme rightward position (referring to Fig.3) leaving the chute open at the bottom only at the extreme end pocket.The can heads therefore fall into this particular pocket. hen thepocketis filled the bottom 26 is moved toward the left a sufficientdistance to openthe bottom ofthe chute at the next adjacent pocketallowing this to be filled, and so the operation proceeds until all ofthe pockets are filled. l-Vhen the bottom 26 reaches its extreme inwardor leftward pos t-ion a stop 28 attached In Fig. 3 a chute for feedingthe can heads to the holders is ferred that the operation. be automatic,and

to this end said bottom is provided with a tang 29, which is mounted toslide horizontally with the bottom in a bearing 30. This tang has ahandle 31 attached, thereto for its manual operation and it also has aratchet bar 32adapted to be engaged by a dog 33 fixed to-the ratchetwheel 34 once forcach revolution for a ratchet wheel 34:. To this endsaid dog and wheel are connected to a common shaft 35 which is suitablymounted in a vertical'position at the periphery ofthe table 10 but in aplane below that of the table. To the underside of the table 10 isfixedly attached a dog 36 which isarranged to engage a tooth of theratchet 34 once. for each revolution of the table. The resultof thisarrangement is that each time the table is rotated the ratchet wheel 34:is moved one tooth and each time the ratchet wheel is rotated theratchet bar 32:

is moved one tooth. The parts are so proportionate and organized thatwhen this movement of the ratchet bar takes place a sufiicientv andpredetermined number of heads will have passed over the table '10through the chute 21 to fill one of the pockets 27 and said movement ofthe ratchet bar brings about a movement of the chute 26 sufficient touncover the next adjacent pocket The number of teeth on the ratchet'baris, at least, e ual to the number of pockets so that when t e movementof the ratchet bar is exhausted the end of one complete operation of themachine will be marked. It readily follows that the number ofheads madein thismanner may be easily counted connected to the wheel 34 or anotherof the moving parts by which to show the number of heads at any periodin the operation.

The pockets 27 are formed by suitable partition wallspreferably-consisting of a continuous backing wall 37, partitions 38,separating the pockets and a removable front wall 39. These walls aredisposed at a slight inclination to the vertical and the pockets formedthereby are i of less width in one direction than the widthof the canheads so 7 I i and indeed an indicating attachment may be that the headsas they stack in the pockets I take overlapping inclined positions asindicated in Fig. 2. The said walls forming the pockets are preferablymounted on pivots 40 at the bottom so that upon removing the front wall39 the walls 37 and 38 may be rocked forward or. away from the otherpart of the machine, thus. allowing the accumulated. heads to be dumpedfrom the pockets into the box or other suitable storage or transportingmeans in which the heads may be stored or carried to the next stage ofthe operation of the manufacture ofthe cans.

In its organized operation therefore the machine receives the headswhich have been previously flanged and impresses the gaskets into thechannels in theedges of the heads. After this the heads areautomatically lifted from the holders and turned edgewise into the chutethrough which they run to the pockets. Meanwhile, an automatic step bystep motion in a transverse direction is 1mparted to the bottom 26causing the pockets to fill successively and finally resulting 1n theclosing of the chute against further movement of the heads therein. Ifdesired, this operation may be made to take place concurrently with theautomatic or other stoppage of the table 10. after again starting themotion of the table, the bottom 26 may be returned to starting positionmanually through the handle 31, which operation simultaneously withdrawsthe stop 28 and allows a resumption of the movement of the heads in thechute- Having thus described my invention, what I claim as new anddesire to secure by Let ters Patent of the United States, is:

1. In a machine for handling can heads, the combination of a movabletable adapted to support can heads, means for lifting the heads from thetable, a chute for receiving the heads from said means, pockets underthe chute to receive the heads therefrom, means for opening the chute tothe successive pockets, and devices acting in unison with the moving ofthe table to automatically operate said opening means, said de vicescomprising a rotary element operating said opening means once for eachrotation of the rotary element and a part .carried by the table forperiodically imparting a partial movement to the rotary element.

2. In a machine for handling can heads, the combination of a rotatingtable, a relatively stationary guiding means inclining upward andoutward from the position of the heads on the table whereby as the headsare engaged with said guiding means they are caused'to move transverselyfrom the table, means for receiving the heads from v the guiding means,such means comprising a chute, a series of pockets, a distributor fordirecting the heads from the chutes to the pockets and means forautomatically operating the distributor in unison with the table motion.

3. In a machine for handling can heads, the combination of an inclinedchute, a movable bottom for said chute, the bottom being arranged. byits movement, successively to open the chute at different points alongits length and pockets to receive the can heads To adjust the parts fromthe chute, said pockets respectively located at said different pointsalong the length of the chute.

4. In a machine for handling can heads, the combination of a chute, atransversely movable bottom therefor, increasing in width toward thereceiving end of the chute, whereby upon transverse movement of thebottom the chute is successively opened at different points along itslength and pockets to receive the can heads from the chute, the pocketsrespectively located at said different points along the length of thechute. a

5. In a machine for handling can heads, the combination of a chute, abottom for the chute, the bottom being transversely movable andincreasing in width toward the receiving end of the chute, whereby upontransverse movement of the bottom the chute is successively opened atditferent points along its length, pockets to receive the can heads fromthe chute, the pockets respectively located at said different pointsalong the length of the chute, and a stop connected to operate in unisonwith the bottom to close the chute upon the end of movement of thebottom.

6. In a machine for handling can heads, the combination of an inclinedchute, a movable bottom for said chute, the bottom being arranged, byits movement, successively to open the chute at different points alongits length and pockets to receive the can heads from the chute, thepockets respectively located at said different points along the lengthof the chute and a stop con nected to operate in unison with the bottomto close the chute upon the end of movement of the bottom.

7. In a machine for handling can heads, the combination of an inclinedchute, a movable bottom for said chute, the bottombeing arranged, by itsmovement, successively to open the chute at different points along itslength, pockets to receive the can heads from the chute, pocketsrespectively located at said different points along the length of thechute, means for delivering the can heads to the chute and means forautomatically operating the bottom in unison with said delivery.

8. In a machine for handling can heads, the combination of a chute, abottom for the chute, the bottom being transversely movable and havinggradually increasing widths, whereby upon transverse movement of thebottom the chute is successively opened at different points along itslength, pockets to receive the can heads from the chute, the pocketsrespectively located at said different points along the length of thechute, means for delivering the can heads to the chute and means forautomatically operating the chute at the bottom in unison with saiddelivery.

9. In a machine for handling can heads,

4, mamas the comhinmbibn; with deliveny' means; of name-f0 this;specification; in the presence. of wwlls: forming an series of pockets,one oi two subscnibing witnesses.

said Walls being "removable: to 019211 thapock-v OTTO DEMPEVOLF;

ets along; their langflr and means for: hing- 5 ed'ly' mounting said:ponkets to. facilitate Witnesses; 4 dumping.- their contents;ERNS'I';MEVRS,-

131m testimony whereaf- I. have. signed: my 5 EBIEDRICH KRANDER.

